Cops and Courts: April 25, 2013: Man seeks new trial on narcotics charges

A 38-year-old Watsonville man was arrested on a trail behind Soquel High School on Wednesday after allegedly exposing himself to female students three times, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office.

On Monday and Tuesday morning, female students reported a man exposing himself as they walked to school. With three reported incidents, sheriff's deputies conducted surveillance of the area and found Salvador Quinonez near the school Wednesday. The victims identified him as the man who exposed himself to them, according to sheriff's deputy April Skalland.

Quinonez is accused of standing in the bushes off the trail behind the school, exposing himself while conducting a sexual act.

Quinonez was arrested on three counts of indecent exposure and booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail. Quinonez's bail was increased to $50,000 due to the nature of his crimes, Skalland said.

SAN MATEO COUNTY

Possible sighting of fugitive assault suspect

Dimitri Storm, the 42-year-old man suspected of pointing a gun at a Soquel Hills resident during a burglary, might have been spotted in San Mateo County on Monday.

San Mateo County sheriff's deputy Rebecca Rosenblatt said a female hitchhiker got a ride with a man Monday night to Highway 35 near the Clouds Rest vista point.

A Mercedes was found abandoned near Highway 35 that was reported stolen from Monterey County, where Storm was last spotted by authorities. The woman was later shown a picture of Storm and said it was him.

Storm is suspected of stealing several cars and remains wanted in Sonoma and Santa Cruz counties on suspicion of felony assault on a peace officer, evading authorities and possession of a stolen vehicle.

He is 5 feet 10 inches and 180 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office asks anyone with information to call dispatch at 831-471-1121.

SANTA CRUZ

Preliminary hearing set in stabbing death

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for four young men accused of stabbing a man to death in Watsonville.

Oscar Vaca Vargas, 20, Andres Rocha, 17, Eric Romero, 15, and German Carrillo, 17, will be back in court on Aug. 26 for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to take a case against them to trial. The four are accused of stabbing 20-year-old Felipe Reyes to death on Feb. 28.

Police reported that four people chased Reyes out of an apartment complex near Lincoln and Alvardo streets and into an alley between Freedom Boulevard and Lincoln Street.

Reyes was overtaken by the suspects, beaten and stabbed multiple times. He stumbled across the alley, collapsed in the doorway of a shop and died. All four suspects are incarcerated, and will be tried as adults on charges of homicide, conspiracy and street terrorism. The attack is considered to be gang motivated.

SANTA CRUZ

Man seeks new trial on narcotics charges

A former Scotts Valley resident who was convicted of transporting narcotics last year is seeking a new trial.

Wednesday, a Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge scheduled a motion hearing for June 4 to hear argument about whether or not a new trial for Colin Sean Tisdale is warranted.

"We are asking the court to reconsider some issues," said Tisdale's attorney, Lars Shallberg. "Mr. Tisdale believes there was an erroneous ruling on one issue. He also believes potential witnesses should have been called as part of his defense."

Tisdale was arrested Aug. 20, about eight hours after a Soquel Hills man was shot to death. Police said at the time he was a suspect in the murder of Jeffrey Smith, although he has not been charged in that crime.